super PAC
Independent expenditure committee
A super PAC is a political action committee that can raise and spend unlimited money to advocate for or against candidates, as long as it doesn't coordinate directly with campaigns.
Unlike regular PACs, super PACs face no contribution limits but must disclose donors.
They became prominent after the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision: The super PAC spent millions on attack ads.
Organization funding electoral campaigns
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- donorsPeople who give gifts
- contributionsThings given to help
dark money · soft money · voting · primary · midterms · ballot · electorate · disclosure
Act of revealing information
- transparencyState of being see-through
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
- loopholesExploitable ambiguities in rules
- Citizens UnitedSupreme Court campaign ruling
compliance · watchdog · oversight · accountability · reform · corruption · quid pro quo · legal challenge
People with vast fortunes
- special interestsGroups seeking policy influence
- dark moneyUndisclosed political contributions
- kingmakerPolitical influence wielder
- power brokersHidden political influencers
grassroots · electioneering · bundlers · donor class · Citizens United · George Soros · unaccountable · shadowy
Negative campaign commercials
- airtimeScheduled transmission period
- broadcastTransmitted media signal
- targetingSelecting as objective
- messagingSending written digital communications
persuasion · reach · saturation · mailers · digital ads · ad blitz · opposition research · fact-check
political action committee
Organization funding electoral campaigns
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- donorsPeople who give gifts
contributions · dark money · soft money · voting · primary · midterms · ballot · electorate · disclosure · fundraising
disclosure
Act of revealing information
- transparencyState of being see-through
- campaign financeMoney raised for elections
- loopholesExploitable ambiguities in rules
Citizens United · compliance · watchdog · oversight · accountability · reform · corruption · quid pro quo · legal challenge · enforcement
billionaires
People with vast fortunes
- special interestsGroups seeking policy influence
- dark moneyUndisclosed political contributions
- kingmakerPolitical influence wielder
power brokers · grassroots · electioneering · bundlers · donor class · Citizens United · George Soros · unaccountable · shadowy · coordination
attack ads
Negative campaign commercials
- airtimeScheduled transmission period
- broadcastTransmitted media signal
- targetingSelecting as objective
messaging · persuasion · reach · saturation · mailers · digital ads · ad blitz · opposition research · fact-check · misleading
- U.S. PoliticsCongress, senator, representative, president, vice president
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- advocacy groupsadvocacy group, lobbying groups, lobby group, NAACP, lobby groups
- campaign financedonations, donation, contributions, contribution, donors
- Corporate Powerlobbying, lobbyist, lobbyists, monopoly, oligarchy
- political jargonfilibuster, gerrymandering, caucus, pork barrel, lame duck